


Progression

by ansutatrash



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Getting Together, MadaAn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:27:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27493465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ansutatrash/pseuds/ansutatrash
Summary: The first time Madara laid eyes on Anzu, he knew she would be useful to him.What he didn’t realize though, was that Anzu was a lot tougher to manipulate than others he had messed with in the past.
Relationships: Anzu/Mikejima Madara
Kudos: 11





	Progression

The first time Madara laid eyes on Anzu, he knew she would be useful to him. He recognized her after all; the childhood playmate that he had been around for no more than a few days. Surely he could use this as an excuse to get closer to the producer who had supposedly turned Yumenosaki academy on its head. Yes, she would be very useful.  
What he didn’t realize though, was that Anzu was a lot tougher to manipulate than others he had messed with in the past. Yes, Anzu bought into his lies of being close childhood friends (which wasn’t too much of a lie, really. More like just stretching the truth), but despite that she seemed to want to keep her distance from Madara anyways. Whether that be because of his outward demeanor towards her and the other students or for some other reason, Madara wasn’t quite sure, though he placed his bets on the former. He had to settle for doing less than what he had hoped to achieve and see where that would take him, though it wasn’t too long before he was found out by a fellow 3rd year by the name of Kuro Kiryuu.  
What he did notice as time passed by was that Anzu was a lot more interesting than he had originally given her credit for. She worked hard, overworking a lot of the time, and that reminded Madara of himself in a way. He took it upon himself to help her out as much as possible, putting out the excuse that he was her childhood friend and mama and needed to help out his precious friend/daughter in need, though Anzu repeatedly tried to push him away. At first, he did keep somewhat of a distance. However, once Anzu collapsed, that was a different story.  
By the time Anzu had overworked herself to the point of needing to be hospitalized, Madara knew he had to do something about it. It was clear to him by this time that he had grown feelings towards the producer, but he kept that to himself. He was good at hiding his true feelings after all. Besides, it was probably just a fleeting crush that would dissipate with time. Instead, he threw himself into trying to make things easier for Anzu while she was recovering in the hospital. He didn’t visit her too often, but he heard from others about how she was doing; most of the things he heard involved Anzu asking people to bring her work to do because she hated lying in bed and not doing anything. Hearing this motivated Madara to do even more of Anzu’s work; he knew that there were quite a few students by this time who would do almost anything for Anzu if she asked them enough, and he wanted to make sure that there was as little work for her to do as possible so that she would spend most of her time resting no matter what.  
The appreciation live for Anzu had been a great success, and Madara felt his heart swelling with joy and pride as Anzu thanked him and the other students who had participated in it. He also made Anzu promise him that she wouldn’t overwork herself to this point again, and that she should come to him if she needed anything, or even if she didn’t really need him. Anzu had reluctantly agreed, and Madara had made her pinky swear on it. His finger still tingled from where it had wrapped around Anzu’s long after he had gone home.  
Graduation day was bittersweet for Madara, the only solo unit in Yumenosaki academy. He had no cute little juniors in his unit to thank him for leading them, or anyone to carry on the name of MaM inside the academy after he left. It was fine though, since he was planning on continuing to use the name anyways. However, things around the house were looking rather grim, and he knew that his plans for keeping MaM afloat might be temporarily disturbed by his parents before long. Well, that was something he would worry about later though, as he had some adorable juniors from his club as well as a couple others that were approaching him to wish him good luck on his next steps. He picked them all up one-by-one, swinging them around in the air and laughing his signature booming laugh. He was touched, really, that anyone would care enough to want to wish him good luck. He had always played the role of the antihero after all, even during his time in Ryuseitai. He knew he was no hero, but seeing people caring about him like this did warm his heart. Even some of the graduating seniors came by to congratulate him, and of course he gave them the same treatment that he gave to his juniors. Finally, Anzu came over as well to wish him good luck. She told him that she would like to continue to work with him at times if he was planning on continuing idol work, which made Madara’s chest tighten. Anzu of course still had no idea how he felt about her, the crushwas lasting a lot longer than he had initially thought, but that was fine. He picked her up as well, and after swinging her around despite her protests, gave her a quick hug before setting her back down on the ground. He knew it might have come off as a little forceful, but that was his character after all. He just hoped that Anzu didn’t feel his heart pounding against his ribcage for the few seconds that they were pressed close together.   
MaM was put on hiatus, just as Madara had expected. Without the title of MaM, Madara decided to continue idol work under his real name for the time being. He couldn’t fly abroad anymore like he used to do with MaM because of the situation with his parents, so he focused his efforts locally, performing wherever he could for the best price available. He had also joined Tsumugi’s company, or was it Tsukasa’s? NewDimension. His friend Leo was also there, which was a comfort to him, as he could now keep an eye on the genius and make sure he didn’t get himself into too much trouble, as well as get a little more funding for his idol activities. Even if NewDi was considered the lowest tier from the four companies of ES, he knew that with time, they would rise up.  
When Leo did manage to get himself into trouble, in the form of a producer who was dubbed GFK, Madara knew that he had to do something for his friend. Leo would do nothing, though Madara could see why. Leo was a good person at heart, really. He would never want to hurt people, even if they were hurting him. Madara however, was different. Anyone who touched his precious people were basically dead to him. This of course, included GFK. Luckily, he found someone, a little boy by the name of Kohaku Oukawa, who had a similar agenda. He quickly convinced the younger boy to team up, and together they plotted the demise of the producer who had made himself known to be quite the bad guy.  
Madara sat in the dressing room for Double Face, staring at the mirror, though not at his reflection. He was lost in thought, running over the plan to stop GFK once and for all before going up onstage. He heard noise in the background, it was probably Kohaku and Souma talking, but he ignored them for now. He was worried, mostly about Anzu. He had asked for her help in convincing GFK to come to the live venue, knowing that he would look down on her because she was just a little girl. It was risky, especially since under normal circumstances, Madara would never want to put Anzu in any position of danger, but this time he had needed to do it for Leo’s sake, as well as everyone else that GFK was manipulating. He knew that Anzu was capable, but he couldn’t stop the nagging feeling in his mind that something could always go wrong. He turned his head when he heard Kohaku mention him, masking his worries behind a sheepish grin as he approached his two underclassmen.   
The live was successful despite Madara and Kohaku’s worries about being able to perform well. Madara had little experience, especially recent experience, with multi-person unit work, and Kohaku had a lot of trouble keeping up with Madara’s seemingly endless reserves of energy. However, the two had managed to squeak by somehow with a lot of luck and improvising, and soon GFK was onstage with them. It felt so good to throw the man, literally, and watch as everything else fell into place. He met with Anzu afterwards, and despite having basically killed a man, her gaze towards him did not waver. He respected that, and appreciated it beyond words. The fact that Anzu could still look him in the eyes was everything he could ever want and ask for.   
Not only was Anzu a master at destroying schools, but apparently she had the whole of ES under her thumb as well. With the implementation of a new rule stating that only “units”, aka multiple people in one group, could stay in ES, Madara had been forced to keep Double Face going instead of making it a one-time thing. He didn’t particularly mind, but he was a little worried about Kohaku. The boy was young after all, and was already part of a notoriously chaotic unit known as Crazy:B. Madara wasn’t sure if the child could handle the additional pressure of being in a unit, and with him no less, but Kohaku had seemed up for the challenge, to which Madara was grateful. He knew that Anzu had implemented this rule for him, and the fact that she was worrying about him made him feel both absolutely amazing and absolutely awful at the same time. If only she knew what effect she had on him….

******

Madara tosses a sports drink to Kohaku before picking one up for himself, gulping down half of the bottle before setting it down, breathing a sigh of relief. Practice had run long today, and even he was starting to feel fatigued. Despite having practiced with Kohaku for quite awhile now, he still wasn’t sure if he was getting any better at working with someone as opposed to working alone. There were many factors to consider when performing, and he had to make sure to pace himself because Kohaku’s stamina was nothing compared to his. “Are you feeling alright, Kohaku-san~?” he asks, turning his head towards his junior who was sitting on the floor, chugging down the sports drink.  
Kohaku sets the bottle down once it’s empty, giving Madara an exasperated look. “‘M fine, Madara-han.” he says, standing up and stretching. “Yer jus’ as energetic as ever. Dunno how ya do it, but I guess I shouldn’t be complainin’ as much since ya did ease up a little bit since our first live ‘n all.”   
Madara laughs. “That’s the spirit, Kohaku-san~! I’ll have you being able to practice for 24 hours straight in no time~.” he jokes, coming over to the shorter boy and giving him an encouraging(?) slap on the back. Kohaku stumbles, glaring up at the taller male.  
“I’d rather not, thank ya. I have enough ‘ta deal with, bein’ in two crazy units ‘n all.” he states, going over to the wall and picking up his things.   
Madara chuckles. “Of course, of course~. Well, good night then, Kohaku-san~! I’ll see you tomorrow!” he says, waving as Kohaku nods in acknowledgement before leaving the practice room.  
With Kohaku gone, Madara walks over to his phone, turning the music back on so that he can practice more. Even if Kohaku was finished, he was still feeling a little antsy. He definitely couldn’t go to bed yet, so he might as well burn off the excess energy before leaving the practice room. Besides, it was still booked for another two hours. Might as well make the most of it.  
After running through the song five more times, Madara stopped for a break. He was panting now, sweat rolling down his face and staining the practice jersey he was wearing. The room was getting a little stuffy, and he had run out of drinks, so he decided to take a quick walk outside, get a few more water bottles, then head back to practice until the reservation time ran out.  
Walking through the hallways of the ES building was weird when nobody was about. Madara did often wander around late at night, but usually one of the Sakumas was out and about, doing whatever it is self-proclaimed vampires do in the late hours of the night. Occasionally he would run into Kuro or Eichi as well, the two often trying to do things while escaping the hawk-like eyes of Keito, who was very nitpicky about curfew and a stickler for other rules and such that many of the other students didn’t care to follow a lot of the time. However, the floor where the practice rooms were located was pretty much empty. Well, that is until Madara feels someone poke him in the back.  
“!!!” Madara jumps, turning his head around quickly to see Anzu looking up at him, smiling mischievously. He sighs with relief before putting his hands on his hips, quirking his brows at the producer. “Anzu-san, you startled me~! What are you doing here so late?” he asks, chuckling.  
Anzu hums softly, proud of herself for being able to sneak up on Madara when usually it was the other way around. “I was checking to make sure all of the practice rooms were locked before heading back home. I heard footsteps and wondered who could be here so late. Of course it was you.” she replies.  
“Ah, is that right~? It’s a bit late for a girl to be walking around by herself though, isn’t it? Mama is worried about you, Anzu-san~.” Madara says, ruffling Anzu’s hair affectionately. “I don’t think there’s anyone else around here, so I’ll help you finish your job and then take you back home. Is that alright with you~?” he asks, though he wouldn’t take no for an answer.  
Anzu shakes her head. “You don’t have to. I know my way around the building well enough. Besides, weren’t you practicing?” she asks, noting how sweaty Madara is. “You can go back to doing that if you want, just make sure you lock the door when you leave.”  
Madara laughs. “Pushing me away as always, huh~? But it’s okay, this will give me an excuse to stop for the night. I’ve been practicing since…” he pauses to recall. “... Oh, around 12 PM or so~?”  
Anzu’s eyes widen as she looks at the time on her watch. “You’ve been practicing for almost 10 hours, Mikejima-san?” she asks. “Double Face doesn’t even have a live anytime soon, does it?”  
Madara shakes his head. “No, nothing of the sort~. I was just practicing some choreography with Kohaku-san and before I knew it, it was already this late~.” he admits.   
Anzu frowns. “You made Oukawa-san practice with you? You should be more careful.” she scolds.  
Madara grins sheepishly. “Yes yes, I know~. I should have kept an eye on the time. I’m sorry, I’ll be better about it next time~.” he says. “But putting that aside, I still feel like I should take you back home. I have Baby-chan here with me so I can drive you back. It’ll be quicker than trying to catch a bus, and safer~.” he adds.  
Anzu looks at him questiongly, and it takes a moment for Madara to remember that Anzu probably doesn’t know about his motorcycle, aka Baby-chan. “Oh, Baby-chan is my motorcycle!” he explains with a laugh. “Don’t worry, I have two helmets. I’m also a very careful driver so you have nothing to worry about~!”  
Anzu sighs. “I should have known you were the type to name your vehicles…” she says, shaking her head. “... But… I guess if it’s okay with you then? Oh, but you haven’t had dinner, have you? Maybe we should get something to eat first…” she pauses. “... Unless it’s too late for you to be eating..?” she adds, since she knew some idols were very serious about what times they could eat.  
Madara laughs. “Don’t worry Anzu-san, I’m not worried about my weight or anything~. Dinner does sound good though, now that you mention it. Why don’t we finish checking the rooms and then go down to the kitchen for a bit?” he suggests. “The practice room I was using is just down the hall, so after I grab my stuff we can make our way down there.” he adds.  
Anzu nods and the two of them make their way down the hallways, checking all of the rooms while making idle chatter. Once they finish checking the rooms, Madara goes back to the one he rented out and grabs his things, turning off the light and locking the door behind him as he exits. “Alright, to the kitchen~!” he announces, picking up Anzu and running down the hallways at top speed, ignoring Anzu’s yelp of protest. Eventually, he feels her cling to his shoulders and he tries not to think about how it’s almost as though she’s hugging him.  
The two arrive at the cafeteria in no time and Madara sets Anzu down, laughing as she glares daggers at him, fixing her hair which had gotten messy during Madara’s sprint through the building. “That was unnecessary.” she pouts.  
“Yeees, but it got us here in less time than it would have taken if we had walked~.” Madara points out. “Besides, I want to get you home before your parents start to worry about you~.” he adds, to which Anzu has no good retort.  
The two make their way into the kitchen to see what might be available for a light meal for Madara. “Do you like onigiri?” Anzu asks, scanning the refrigerators and pantries for ingredients. “I can make some for you if you would like.”  
“Anzu-san is going to make me something? Mama is so happyyyy~!” Madara beams. Really, he was overjoyed at the thought of being able to eat something Anzu prepared, especially since it would be just for him.   
Anzu nods. “I can do it. You should sit down and rest for a bit. You probably haven’t done much of that all day after all. You shouldn’t overwork yourself, remember?” Anzu gives Madara a smug smile, knowing that those were the words Madara often spoke to her.  
Madara chuckles. “Woooow, using my own words against me~? How cruuuel.” he complains, but he goes over to the table and sits down as he’s told to do, watching as Anzu rolls up her sleeves and gets to work. He props his chin on his hands, watching as she cooks the rice and starts preparing the fillings. Huh, it was almost as if she was his wife… Madara shakes his head, snapping himself back into reality. Stupid, still having fantasies like a middle schooler or something. He really needs to stop.  
Madara must have dozed off, because when he opens his eyes again, there’s a plate of onigiri in front of him and Anzu is gently drying his hair with a towel. He makes a soft noise of confusion and Anzu moves the towel away to look at him. “Ah, sorry. You fell asleep and I didn’t want to wake you, so I decided to dry you off a bit instead since you didn’t do it earlier and you might catch a cold if you stay like this.” she explains.  
Madara hopes he isn’t blushing as he straightens up in his seat, lifting his hand to check his watch. “Ah, you should have woken me up..! How long was I asleep for?” he asks. It was 11 PM now, so maybe half an hour??  
“Not too long. Maybe around 10 minutes since I finished making these?” Anzu replies, folding the towel and placing it off to the side on the other end of the table. “You should eat though. I made tea as well, if you’d like some.” she adds.  
Madara smiles gratefully at her. “Thank you Anzu-san. And yes please~.” he adds, ruffling her hair again. Anzu moves her head back to avoid his hand, leaving to go get Madara a cup of tea while he busies himself with the onigiri. They taste delicious, as expected, and Madara savors the taste as much as he can. He wasn’t used to having things done for him, and Anzu doing things for him made everything even better. He tells himself not to get used to it though, that she’s only doing it because she feels responsible for idols as a producer; there’s nothing more than the relationship of idol and producer after all, even if Anzu still believes the childhood friend story.  
After finishing off the onigiri and tea, Madara puts his hands together beaming at Anzu. “THank you very much for the food~! You could be a professional chef if you ever decide to quit producer work, Anzu-san~.” he says with a laugh.  
“I-I’m not that good…!” Anzu retorts, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink as she denies Madara’s compliment. Adorable. “It’s just simple onigiri after all. Besides, you could probably do better, couldn’t you?” she asks.  
Madara grins. “Oho, is Anzu-san interested in mama’s cooking~?” he asks with a chuckle. “I’ll make something for you sometime then, if that’s okay with you~. But I prefer Anzu-san’s cooking since it’s special~.” he adds, standing up. “Now come on, let’s be on our way. Your parents are probably worried about you.”   
Anzu stands up as well. “Not really, I told them that I would be late. I also said that you were with me so they don’t need to worry about me.” she says with a smile. “Well, they don’t remember you, but after hearing my description of you, they’re pretty sure that I’m in good hands. I’m counting on you to get me home safely, Mikejima-san.” she adds.  
Madara laughs loudly to suppress the fluttery feeling in his chest. Anzu trusts him. “Oh, is that right~? I’m curious as to how you described me to them~.” he says, leading Anzu outside to where his motorcycle is parked. Baby-chan was outside where he had left her, the moonlight reflecting off of the spotless vehicle that Madara took great pains to keep clean every time he got the chance.  
“Mm, nothing much. I just told them that you were tall and strong, and that we were close friends in the past.” Anzu replies, following Madara out. She stops beside Baby-chan once they’re outside, admiring the gleaming bike.  
“Were close friends~? How cruel, Anzu-san! We still are, aren’t we~?” Madara complains jokingly, picking up his spare helmet and offering it to Anzu.  
Anzu shrugs. “I’d say it’s a little more complicated now, especially since I don’t remember you from my childhood.” she says, fastening the helmet once it’s on her head. She waits for Madara to get on the bike before climbing on behind him, wrapping her arms around his torso since that’s the only place she can hold onto.  
Madara has to scold himself for thinking things as he feels Anzu’s arms around his middle. Calm down, Madara! Begone impure thoughts!! “Is that right~? Well, I guess I’ll just have to get close to you once more~!” he laughs as he starts up Baby-chan, pulling out of the parking lot and coasting down the street. He makes sure to go the speed limit, determined to get Anzu back to her place in one piece.  
Besides Madara occasionally asking for directions, the two don’t talk during the ride; the only sounds around them are the sound of Baby-chan’s motor and the sound of crickets chirping when the motor isn’t drowning the sounds of the night out. Once they reach Anzu’s neighborhood, she points out her house and Madara parks in front of the driveway. He waits as Anzu unwraps her arms from around him and hops off the motorcycle, taking off the helmet and handing it to him. “Thank you for the ride.” she says with a smile.  
“Of course, Anzu-san~. Anything for you~!” Madara replies with a laugh, taking the helmet and putting it away. “If you ever need a lift again, let me know~. Me and Baby-chan will be more than happy to drive you around.” he adds.  
Anzu giggles softly. “I’ll remember that. Oh, I did want to talk to you about some Double Face stuff tomorrow if that’s alright?” she asks, suddenly remembering.  
“Of course, of course~. I’m free all day, what time works best for you, Anzu-san~?” he asks, taking off his helmet so that she can hear him better.  
Anzu pulls her phone out of her pocket and scrolls through her schedule. “Mmm… How about… lunch tomorrow? I’ll be in NewD’s office at that time, and if you don’t have anything else going on, we can meet up over food or something.” she suggests.  
Madara nods. “Sounds good to me~! I’ll treat, as a thank-you for the onigiri tonight.” he says, shushing Anzu’s complaints with a wag of his finger. “It’s the least I could do, Anzu-san~. Now, you should get going. I’ll see you tomorrow~.” he says, waving to her as she sighs and nods, waving back before going inside the house.  
During the ride back to the dorms, Madara can only think about tomorrow’s plans. Lunch. With Anzu. Going out for lunch. But it’s not a date. Nope, just for business. Purely business only, nothing more. Keep it together, Madara.

True to her word, Anzu comes over to the NewD office at 12 PM sharp, just as Madara is finishing up with cleaning the office. He hurries over to meet her at the door and the two head out. Madara had offered to drive them somewhere on Baby-chan again, but Anzu had told him that somewhere near the office was fine since she had business with some of the other companies afterwards.  
As the two were about to leave the building an obnoxious voice called out to the two, making them turn their heads. “Hello there Producers, Mikejima-san! Salute~!” Ibara Saegusa, the one in charge of Cosmic Production, greets them, giving them his signature salute. “Where might you two be off to on such a fine day~?”  
Madara feels Anzu step behind him a bit, eyeing Ibara warily but smiling as usual. “Hello Ibara-san~. Anzu-san and I were just about to go out to lunch for our meeting.” he replies.  
Ibara raises his eyebrows. “Oh, is that right? Is that why you declined my lunch invitation yesterday, Producer-san? Because you had a prior engagement?” he asks, eyeing Anzu. Madara feels Anzu stiffen behind him.  
“Y-yes, I’m sorry Saegusa-san. We need to get going, but I’ll drop by the CosPro office later as planned.” she mumbles, tugging on Madara’s sleeve, indicating that she wanted to leave.  
“Of course, of course! My apologies, I was just making sure that it wasn’t anything like discrimination or anything~.” Ibara says, a gleam in his eyes. “I expect that, when time allows, you will not be opposed to lunch with someone like myself if you are doing it with others~?”  
Madara feels a stab in his chest at the idea of Anzu having lunch with someone else, particularly someone like Ibara. “Actually, she will not be dining with you at any point, Saegusa-san~.” he says, putting his arm around Anzu’s waist. He can see Anzu looking up at him with surprise out of the corner of his eye, but he focuses his gaze on Ibara, whose eyes have narrowed to glare at him. Man, he really did look like a snake.  
“She is very opposed because our relationship is different from yours, thank you. Now if you’ll excuse us, we have to get going.” he says, turning to usher Anzu out of the building.  
“Woah, woah..! Wait a second here, are you hinting that you two are perhaps… dating? Is that how it is, Anzu-san??” Ibara calls out, reaching out to grab Anzu’s shoulder and turn her around.  
Madara slaps Ibara’s hand away, using a bit more force than intended, making the shorter male pull back. “Take it as you will, Ibara-san. Goodbye~.” he says, picking Anzu up bridal-style, and before she or Ibara can say anything, dashes out the door.  
Madara stops running once they’re a good distance away from the ES building and he’s sure that Ibara isn’t following them. He sets Anzu down then, scratching his head sheepishly. “Oops, sorry Anzu-san. It seems as though there might be some kind of misunderstanding now with us and Ibara-san…” he sweats.  
Anzu was blushing, but she shakes her head. “N-no, it’s alright…! Thank you for your help. Actually, he’s been bugging me about going out for lunch a lot recently, so it might be for the best. Maybe he’ll stop asking now.” she says, sighing.   
Madara frowns. “He’s been bothering you a lot, Anzu-san? You should have told me, I could have made him stop!” he says.  
Anzu gives him an amused smile. “Well, I could have… But I’d rather you didn’t throw him across the ES building. That would make you, NewD, and the rest of the idols in ES look bad. Besides, Saegusa-san has a lot of power, and I’d rather not make you deal with that over something as trivial as him being a bother.” she replies.  
Madara pouts.”So mean, Anzu-san! I can control myself when I need to.” he replies. “... But are you sure it’s alright? I mean, I don’t mind, but people might bother you even more if the news spreads... “ he adds.  
Anzu pauses for a second, then winces, pulling out her phone. “Ah, you’re right..! Actually, it would be awful for you, wouldn’t it?? You’re an idol after all..! We should probably clear up the misunderstanding before news gets out and you start getting in trou-” she pauses when Madara puts his hand over her phone, looking up at him questioningly.  
“No.” Madara says, then realizes that he should probably explain and sucks in a breath. Oh boy… There was no going back now, was there? Great going, Madara Mikejima. Well, maybe rejection would finally make these feelings go away? “I mean… I don’t mind. I really don’t. The public can say what they want about me. Ah, well… Um… I guess… What I’m trying to say is…” He scratches his cheek, outwardly embarrassed for once. How did confessions go again? “I… I like you, Anzu-san. The misunderstanding doesn’t have to be a misunderstanding, if you know what I mean…?” Wow, pathetic. He wants to go as far away from Anzu as fast as he can right now.  
Or… maybe not..? He blinks in surprise as Anzu’s face progressively changes from pink to red. “Eh-- Y-you… Like me, Mikejima-san..?” she repeats, sounding as though she doesn’t believe him.  
Madara nods. “Um… Yeah, I do. I have for awhile now, to tell you the truth.” he says, giving her a sheepish grin. “Of course, you don’t have to respond to me right now..! Or ever, really. I… never planned on telling you, to be honest.” he admits.  
Anzu looks up at him, staring him in the eyes. Madara forces himself to look back at her, even if the urge to avert his gaze and run away is really tempting. “... I-I…” Anzu stutters, shifting her gaze away first. “I… I don’t know if I share the same feelings but… Um…” she plays with her sleeve, tugging at it nervously. “I-is it okay if… maybe… if we try it out…? Dating, I mean... “ she blushes harder, and even Madara can feel his cheeks flushing. Was she serious?? “I don’t hate you of course, I just… Don’t know if I like you in that way… But I don’t think I’m opposed to the idea of going out with you… And it would keep Saegusa-san away from me, I think… And um… I would… Like to give you a chance..?” She looks up at him again. “I-is it okay…?”  
Madara beams, picking Anzu up and twirling her in the air. His heart was fluttering and he felt giddy, almost as if he could fly. “Of course, Anzu-san~! I’m so grateful that you’re even considering someone like me after all~!” he says, setting her back down. HIs cheeks were going to hurt later from smiling so much, but he couldn’t help himself. “If you’re okay with it, I would love to date you! As a trial of course, but still~!”  
Anzu smiles shyly at him. “W-well, okay then. Ah, but I won’t let anything get in the way of our work, okay?” she says, putting on a serious face.   
Madara laughs. “Of course, of course~. I wouldn’t dream of letting something like this get in the way of work~. I know how important it is to you after all.” he says, giving her a pat on the head. “But, you should rely on me more now, okay~? Since I’m going to be your boyfriend for the time being, you have to rely on me sometimes.” he adds. Boyfriend. Did any other word sound as nice? Right now, definitely not.  
Anzu sighs. “Somehow I had a feeling you would say that… “ she says, shaking her head. She smiles up at him though. “Well, I’ll be in your care then, Mikejima-san. Shall we get going?” she asks.  
Madara grins, offering Anzu a hand. “Of course~! It’ll be our first date~.” he says, squeezing Anzu’s hand gently when she places it in his.   
“We’re still discussing Double Face stuff though.” Anzu reminds him, starting to walk towards the restaurant they had chosen prior to leaving the building.   
“Of course~. A business date is still a date to me~.” Madara laughs as the two make their way to their destination.

******

A few months later, Madara and Anzu were officially dating. Madara came out to his fans one year after the official start of their days as a couple, and while there was a bit of backlash at first, most of his fans were happy that he had found someone to care for, and soon it was a well-accepted fact that Madara was an idol with a lover. Madara had admitted to Anzu about the childhood friend thing a few months after officially getting together, and was pleasantly surprised to find out that Anzu had assumed as much. The two decided to leave the lie behind them and move on since it didn’t really matter much anymore anyways. Madara was immensely grateful that Anzu was so understanding, knowing that he was very lucky to have someone like her as his lover.  
Madara and Anzu had also started living together two years after they started dating, when Madara moved out of the dorms and Anzu out of her parent’s place. They rented a small apartment near the ES building since they were both still working there, spending most of their time out of the house since Anzu was getting busier and busier with producer work and Madara was able to travel again for idol work under the name of MaM once more. Double Face was still a thing, but their performances had dwindled to happening once every few months with the increased workload on both MaM and Crazy:B’s side.  
Anzu had moved to being mostly MaM’s producer at this point, and spent a lot of time travelling with Madara when necessary. When she was not with him however, she was busy training other producers who were taking control of the other units under ES. Being the reliable producer she was, as well as everyone’s favorite, it wasn’t easy for the newer producers to transition into their roles, but with patience, everything was beginning to come together. Once everything was settled, Anzu found herself by Madara’s side more often than not, much to both hers and Madara’s delight.  
Around the time of their 5th anniversary, Madara was getting ready for a live as MaM in Japan for once. He watches in amusement as Anzu fiddles with his costume, making minor adjustments and straightening everything out before he goes up onstage. “Is your mic working?” she asks, and Madara nods in affirmation, tapping the mic to prove it. Anzu smiles. “Good luck out there then.” she says, giving him a peck on the cheek for good luck, being careful as to not accidentally smear his makeup.  
Madara grins. “Of course, I’ll try my best~!” he says, giving her a thumbs-up before running out onstage, waving to the crowds of people that had come to see him. The glow of the lightsticks made his heart swell with joy. Being an idol was the best, really. And today was a special day for more than one reason.  
After performing his lineup of songs, as well as a special bonus performance of Double Face with Kohaku, Madara finally reaches the last song for the night. “Before this last song, I have an announcement to make~.” he announces. He waits for the crowd to quiet down before continuing. “As you all know, I have been dating Anzu, my producer, for about 5 years now. Most of you have never really seen her face, as she tends to work from behind the scenes, but today I’d like to introduce her to all of you.” he says, turning his head towards backstage and reaching a hand out, motioning for Anzu to come join him onstage.  
Anzu, who had not been expecting to be called up onstage, walks up to Madara nervously. There were a lot of people watching, but she gains a little bit of confidence as she hears the audience cheering for her encouragingly. She smiles, bowing to the crowd appreciatively before looking at Madara, wondering why he had decided to call her up so suddenly.   
Madara smiles warmly at Anzu before turning towards the audience again. “This is my beloved Anzu, a hardworking producer, my best friend, my pillar of support, and the love of my life. And today, I hope to add one more title to this list.” he says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box. The crowd gasps as they see Madara and Anzu’s projections on the large screens behind the stage, watching as Madara gets down on one knee and opens the box to reveal a ring. “Anzu, I’ve loved you for a long time now. We’ve been together for a long time, and that time has convinced me that I would like to have no one else besides you by my side for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?” he asks, gazing up at Anzu lovingly. He could see her face turn pink and he chuckles softly, reminded of the first time he had confessed to her. She was still just as adorable, if not more.  
“I-I…” Anzu stutters, at a loss for words. The crowd begins to chant for her to say yes and Anzu turns to face them for a moment before turning back towards Madara, eyes misting as she smiles. “Stupid, this is so embarrassing…” she mumbles. “... Yes, yes of course I’ll marry you…!”   
Madara beams, standing up and slipping the ring onto Anzu’s ring finger. Once it’s on, he places the box back into his pocket and scoops Anzu up in his arms as he laughs, twirling her around as the crowd cheers for the couple’s announcement. He brings Anzu back down to kiss her, vaguely hearing the crowd cheering louder in the background. Anzu melts into the kiss, the two momentarily lost in their own world before separating, turning to the audience and bowing to them gratefully, knowing that they were immensely lucky to receive this much support.  
“Now then, for the last song, I would like for Anzu to sing with me~. What does everyone else think~?” Madara asks, turning to the crowd and holding his mic out to them. The audience screams in agreement despite Anzu’s attempted protest. Madara gives her a triumphant smirk and hands her an extra mic that a stagehand brings over at his request. There was no way out of this one for her.  
Despite having never practiced a song together, Madara and Anzu’s voices blended together almost perfectly. Anzu’s voice wavered at first, but with Madara and the audience’s encouragement she soon began to enjoy herself. She knew all of Madara’s songs by heart now, and though she could only sing the main melody, Madara stepped in to harmonize with her instead. It wasn’t Madara’s best performance of course, but it was by far the most memorable for everyone at the venue.

Madara woke up to Anzu throwing a newspaper on his face. He makes a soft “Mmmf…?” noise of confusion, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before looking at Anzu questioningly, picking up the paper.  
Anzu crosses her arms, giving him a bemused smile. “You made the front page. Honestly, I should have expected you to pull something like that for your proposal. I can’t believe you.” she says, sitting on the edge of the bed as Madara’s eyes scan the paper, lips twitching in amusement.  
“Yes, you absolutely should have expected it~.” Madara laughs, folding the paper once he’s done skimming through it and tossing it onto the bedside table, grabbing Anzu by the waist and pulling her close. He nuzzles her neck, breathing in the scent of their shared shampoo and leaving soft kisses on her neck, tickling her.  
Anzu giggles, curling up at his side once Madara gives her some space to move around, She leans her head on his shoulder, letting Madara play with her hair which was still a bit wet from her shower. “Honestly, you can be so embarrassing sometimes.” she complains, but her voice is warm and Madara knows she already forgave him for the stunt he pulled with the live.  
“And yet you still said that you’d marry me~. There’s no escape for you now~!” Madara replies with a laugh, entwining their fingers together and admiring the ring now glimmering on Anzu’s finger.   
“Don’t make me want to look into getting divorce papers before we’re even married, dummy.” Anzu retorts, but the both of them know that she’s only teasing him. Madara hums softly in acknowledgement, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple.  
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry~. It was just the easiest way to get the news out without having to make a separate announcement.” he says with a laugh. “Besides, now the whole world will know what you look like, and that you’re all mine~.” he adds with a smug grin.  
Anzu punches his shoulder lightly, giggling. “You’re so weird. You haven’t matured at all from highschool.” she replies, leaning against him again. “Well, I guess that’s why I’m in love with you after all.” she adds, smiling up at him.  
Madara smiles back, leaning in for a kiss which Anzu reciprocates. It’s soft and sweet, and the two take their time, enjoying each other and the warmth that they share. When they do pull away, Madara moves slightly to rest his forehead against Anzu’s, hugging her close. “Mm, I love you so much…~” he murmurs, feeling Anzu smile as she combs her fingers through his messy hair.   
“I love you too, Madara.” she replies, her voice soft and sweet, making Madara’s heart, no, every part of him, melt. Truly, there was no one in the world that could be happier than him with Anzu by his side. No matter what the future held in store for him, as long as Anzu was here, beside him, everything would turn out just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Written in honor of Madara coming home in NewD scout, I love you bae u_u <3  
> Also I'm just weak for MadaAn, but I'm sure you guys know that already. Thanks for reading!


End file.
